Sept. 22, 2000 - The Denver International Airport Business Partnership is hoping to learn a thing or two from Silicon Valley.

The area, known for the prevalence of high-tech companies and an even higher-tech workforce, has already been where Denver is going, DIA Business Partnership leaders said Thursday at their third annual summit, "Convergence Takes Flight."

"The Silicon Valley can be viewed as a model for the development of the state and even the entire region," said Rich Rinehart, chairman of the partnership.

And Silicon Valley doesn't just have success stories to share. It has also faced its share of problems, such as housing, traffic, labor and the environment, said Carl Guardino, president and CEO of the Silicon Valley Manufacturing Group.

Guardino addressed high-tech and economic development leaders, sharing the experiences of Silicon Valley and stressing that a proactive approach is the best way to counter the problems that accompany prosperity.

In Silicon Valley's case, the key to addressing these problems has been strong public-private alliances focused on encouraging affordable housing, transportation improvements and environmental preservation. A population willing to tax itself to provide for improvements is also a must, Guardino said.

"We've had a mentality of invest and prosper rather than tax and spend. If the improvements happen on time and on budget, then people are more receptive to them," said Guardino, who managed two successful trafficrelief initiatives in 1996 and created the Housing Action Coalition to advocate for affordable housing.

Because quality of life is a major factor in recruiting high-tech businesses, developers must balance growth with preservation, he said.

"A sound economy and a healthy environment are not mutually exclusive. We can't focus on no growth, but on sustainable growth," he said.

Participants in the conference also discussed trends in high-tech industries that will influence where companies locate. Among them: an educated workforce, connectivity, tax incentives, room to expand, transportation and quality of life.

Leaders of the DIA Business Partnership say they will work to balance those needs as they recruit business and residential development to the area.

"We really have a clean slate with what we are doing here," said Julie Bender, managing director of the DIA Business Partnership. "In a sense, we are just getting started. We want to look back and say we did it right and did it well."

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